Mishipashoo (1959) Norval Morrisseau

The last time I saw you, was the first timeLive, in personThe manLive, in personThe ArtistLive, in personThe IconLive, in personThe Shaman

I walked through your exhibition at the NAGI felt wrapped in an ancestor’s blanket

You Norval, the great oneYou Norval, the innovatorYou Norval, the astral travellerYou Norval, set the pace

Was there a race?For the artworld to beholdTo acknowledge the work of your ancestors toldTo help the artworld and public understandThe medicine in your paint…is what is at handAhhhhhhhh…look at his colourful workOMG she faints……cuz the paint …

His paint…his paint!!!Norval’s paint, pushing to and froYou push the paint Norval with Shaman flairWith ease and grace…oh!! how you careYou pushed the paint across this landYou pushed the paint into the universeThe gallery was full of mind!The gallery was full of spirit!

Multi hues and figures muchAll there on the canvas, or brown paper, blueAll there on the birch bark tooBack to the old stories toldIn the land where the ancestor rollIn the land where that spirit lives old

Colour so flash…across the canvas toldStories of creation and how the people rollThe spirit beings and bearsXray vision, oh so bare!

A movement you created through artGrandfather of contemporary Aboriginal ArtYou painted the canvas and the gallery beholdsUpon their white walls you showedAn ancient culture painted by a shaman on his ancient homelandStories of the land, sky and water tooComplex inter-celestial beings sat across from me to!That Indian thang! of supernatural beingsVisit our people and bringTeachings to us to share somehow

You choose the paintAs the paint mustTell the words of old stories toldTell the words of land and water as they holdThey hold our stories and ancestors tooLand and water beings all over this placeThey connect us to above and belowAhhhhhhhhhhh….to behold.

Paint the words of those underworldsPaint the words of those aboveworldsPaint the words of those supernatural beingsThey harken to you to show their appealTo show they are realTo show they bring gifts with themFor us to live in a certain way

Who will sway?And listen to land.Who will sway?And listen to water.Who will sway?And listen to song bird sing.I swayed so long ago and now I begin.

Turquoise blue you paint the skyTurquoise blue the being crawledTurquoise blue that healed so manyUplift, uplift to the land of plenty?

The land of plenty? What is that?Have we seen that upon our land?What happened really? I want to know.From the north to those ugly schools you goI learned your story through booksI loved your work through booksI heard people talk about their Norval encounters

The stories that I only heardOf a man named Copper ThunderbirdOf a man whom walked so gentlyOf a man who painted endlesslyOf a man who shook the artworldOf a man who showed them so

Some got it, what this man has shownI am altered from how yo shone!!Shine Norval shine in the land of peaceYou!!! up there now…with all those…Entities?

What shall I call all those worlds?Swirling, twirling and swirling soAll around us… there you goThe man Norval who created so